Railway-car-trap-door latch.



O. M. EDWARDS.

RAILWAY GAR TRAP DOOR LATCH.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 12, 1912.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

CINVENTOR BY ATTORNEYS 0. M. EDWARDS.

RAILWAY GAR TRAP DOOR LATCH;

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1912.

1,078Q777. Patented N0v.18;1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

\IIJLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., wAsmNu'roN, 0. 6.

BY MM 7 O.M.EDWARD&' RAILWAY GAR TRAP DOOR LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE12,191&

1,?8,777. Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS OLIVER 1VL EDWARDS, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

RAILWAY-CAR-TRAP-DOOR LATCH.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. 1 8, f 915.

Application filed June 12, 1912. Serial No. 703,207.

Be it known that I, OLIVER M. EDWARDS, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondagaand State of N w York, have invented a certain new and usefulRailway-Car-Trap-Door Latch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trap doors for railway cars and has for itsobject means for locking the door in vertical and horizontal positions,such means having handles ere posed on both faces of the trap door sothat the handles are readily operable when the door is in either itsvertical or horizontal position; and the invention consists in thecombinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed. 7

In describing this invention reference had to the accompanying drawingsin which like characters desi gnate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, edge views of a trap door embodyingmy invention, contiguous portions of the frame of the car being shownand the door being illustrated in horizontal position in Fig. l and invertical position in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan viewof the free edge portion of the door supporting the locking means, andcontiguous parts of the frame of the car, when the door is in horizontalposition. Fig. 4- is an inverted plan view of parts seen in Fig. 3, thedoor being in its position shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional viewon line Ar-A, Fig. Figs. 6 and 7 are, respectively, a plan and asectional view similar to Figs. 3 and.

5, of a modified form of my invention.

1 is the trap door which is hinged at 2, to a bracket 3 associated withthe framed of the car.

The door may be of any desirable form, size and construction and is hereshown as formed of sheet metal plates.

5 is a member forming part of the latch mechanism carried by the doorfor holding the door in vertical or horizontal position, said memberbeing movable in a direction substantially parallel to the general planeof the door and arranged to be operated from both sides of the door.

As shown in Figs. 3, t and 5, the member 5 comprises aspring-pressedangle lever pivoted at its angle at 6, in a housing 7 arranged on thereverse side of the door, the lever having one arm provided with handles8, 9, and the other arm 10 projecting through the housing and acting alatch coacting with means on the frame of the car. The handles 8, 9 areexposed respectively on opposite sides of the door, the handle 8 beingexposed on the upper or floor side of the door through a slot 11 openingthrough the opposite faces of the door and communicating with theinterior of the housing 7 said handle 8 being preferably bcneath thefloor surface of the door.

,The handle 9 is an extension of the handle 8 and projects through apassage in one edge wall 12 of the housing and is exposed on thereverse'side of the door. Thus when the door is in horizontal positionit can be unlatched by engaging the handle portion 8 through the slot 11and when the door is in vertical position, the latch can be operated byengaging the handle 9.

When the door is in vertical position, a portion of the latch arm 8coacts with a hook 13 carried by the frame 4 of the car, the hookentering the slot 11, 5, and when the door is in horizontal position,the end of the arm 10 of the latch passes under a flange 14 secured tothe frame member 4 of the car, the flange 1% being provided with a slot15, Fig. 3, through which the engaging end 10 of the latch passes whenthe door is moved about its pivot 2;

As seen in Figs. 6 and 7, the latch for holding the door in horizontalposition may be a pivoted member 16 movable on an axis 17 substantiallyparallel to the face of the door, and may coact with a shoulder 18 ofthe form shown in F1g. 7 on the frame of the car, the latch 16 beingconnectedby a link 19 to a handle lever 20 pivoted between its ends at21, the handle lever 20 also coacting with a hook similar to the hook123.

My latch is particularly advantageous in that it has handles which arereadily accessible from either side of the door.

1 What I claim is:

1. The combination of a hinged, railway car trap door movable intovertical and horizontal positions, and means for locking the door in itsvertical and horizontal positions comprising a movable member carried bythe door and arranged to be operated from either side of the door, saidmember having latch portions operated thereby and exposed car trap doormovable into vertical and horizontal positions, and means for lockingthe door in its vertical and horizontal positions comprising mechanismincluding a member movable in a direction substantially parallel to thegeneral plane of the door and having handles exposed at, and operablefrom, both sides of the door, substantially as and for the purposespecified. V

3. The combination of a hinged, railway car trap door movable intovertical and horizontal positions, and means for locking the door in itsvertical and horizontal positions comprising a member carried by thedoor and movable in a direction substantially parallel to the generalplane of the door, and having handles and latches exposed on oppositefaces of the door, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l. The combination of a hinged, railway car trap door movable intovertical and hori Zontal positions and having a slot opening through itsopposite faces, a housing arranged on the reverse side of the door insuch position that the slot opens thereinto, and means for locking thedoor in vertical and horizontal posit-ions comprising a member supportedwithin the housing and having a handle and a latch portion exposedthrough the slot beneath the floor surface of the door and also having ahandle and a latch portion extending through the housing and exposed onthe reverse side of the door, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

5. The combination of a hingec'i, railway car trap door movable intovertical and horizontal positions, and having a slot opening shrough itsopposite faces, a. housing carried on the reverse side of the door insuch position that the slot opens thereinto, the housing being alsoformed with a passage in one of its edge walls, and latch mechanismcomprising a lever arm located in the housing and movable in a directionsubstantially parallel to the general plane of the door and including ahandle exposed through the slot and a handle extending through thepassage, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of a hinged, railway car trap door movable intovertical and horizontal positions, the door being formed with a slotopening near its free edge through opposite faces of the door, a housingcarried on the reverse side or" the door in such position that the slotopens thereinto, a lever located within the housing and movable in adirection substantially parallel to the general plane of the door andhaving a handle exposed through the slot, and a handle forming anextension of the former handle and projecting through the wall of thehousing and being exposed on the reverse side f the door, thefirstmentioned handle having a portion serving as a latch, and a latchoperated by said lever and exposed on the reverse side of the door,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. Means for locking hinged, railway car trap doors in vertical andhorizontal posi tions comprising a member adapted to be located on thereverse side of the door and having a handle and latch adapted to beexposed on the upper side of the door through a slot in the door, alatch exposed on the reverse side of the door, and a handle forming acontinuation of the former handle and ex posed on the reverse side ofthe door, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in theState of New York, this 21st day or May, 1912.

OLIVER M. EDW'ARD S.

Witnesses S. DAVIS, L. M. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

